Made to hope, Born unto tragedy
by jdylan1
Summary: A lost man whose only redemption is this world, is a friendship made in the unlikeliest of places.
1. Born unto tragedy

**Disclaimer: This is my first part of a planned 10, telling a spin off story set in the waking dead universe. By the time I am writing this disclaimer I have already published part 4. I am writing this just to say that I know the first part isn't to good but it really picks up after that so please don't give up if you don't like the first part. I know I used a lot of swearing in this part but it really tones down so don't worry. Enjoy!**

**Made to hope, born unto tragedy**

The night was dark, the fog settling in. rain lashing down on the roofs of old, torn down houses belonging to people I used to know, used to love, used to hate. I never much cared for anything in life, I guess it's true what they say you only value something when it's gone, well I can now say they were right. I just want my old life back no matter how boring, hard or hellish it was anything was better than this… hell.

It all started a couple of weeks ago I woke up In my dirty, dusty bedsit with a glass of warm beer next to me I had had a horrible headache from the night before, It was the last day of work until the holidays so I had arranged a get together with my mates, before I knew it I was pitch black and on the floor probably from all the drinking. I looked outside as I always did to see what the neighbours were doing, nothing this perplexed me more than normal they were usually watering their garden or walking the dog by now but just nothing, it just seemed unexplainably odd the street outside was deserted no signs of life were anywhere there were scraps of rubbish flying around in the wind the street had holes in it, a death-trap for cars. I turned towards the light and pressed the switch, nothing the power was out, normal for my apartment it was the cheapest unhygienic place on the street. Still, even then I could barely pay it with my half assed job, with my half assed education. I put on a coat and jeans and unbolted the door as I stepped out of my apartment I looked upstairs but still there was no one in site. I made my way towards the door of the apartments exit. That's when the real nightmare began….

Three men donning double barrel shotguns, pistols, hoodies and torn up jeans smashed open the door and screamed at me to put my head on the ground, for a moment I just stood there confused was I being robbed? They continued screaming at me to get down until the younger of the three called Danny by the other two made a stride towards me and hit me in the back of the head with the shotgun. CRASH as the gun slammed in to me I fell to the floor screaming blood pouring from the cut on the side of my head, the men stared to panic even more begging me to shut up this time I did as I was told. Danny shouted at the other two to scavenge the place, find any food or water that I had. They opened my fridge and started putting all my dried food and beer in to a box, more worried about my beer than safety I stood up and told them to back off, the man with a black shirt, long torn jeans with the name "johnny" sprawled across his hat moved towards me put his pistol to my head and whispered in my ear "look I'm gonna tell you something real quick I don't wanna kill you, so why don't you sit the FUCK DOWN AND DO WHAT WE FUCKING SAY OR I'LL GET DANNY OVER TO BLOW YOU FUCKING BRAINS OUT" I dropped to my knees before the man had any second thoughts about killing me. Once they were done with the fridge they moved over to my bed took the beer and walked to the door, they were halfway through the door when Danny said to the others "hey lads ain't we forgettin something over here?" To which Johnny replied "ah yeah he was bein so quiet I almost forgot about mamas boy was sitting right there and we can't be leavin any witnesses now can we boys?" danny moved over to me and put is pistol to my head the cold hard steel burning in to my skull. Johnny and the other guy went outside leaving Danny all to me "Don't you know what's happened out there boy? It's hell on earth, us stealing your stuff we have to do it to survive otherwise we'll starve like the rest" Danny started to walk towards the window and spoke incomprehensively my head was racing, was this it? Was this how I die? by the hands of some junkies looking for food? I stood up walked towards Danny "trust me what I'm gonna do to ya today, it's a kindness" he turned and swivelled his gun round to my head hitting me in the process I fell to the ground, blood streaming from my nose he fired a bullet at me but missed it, ricoched off towards the ceiling, he turned his gun to shoot again I dodged out of the way and brought myself to his face before he could fire at me again, I grabbed his gun with my hand and twisted it Danny started screaming as I turned the gun round to his head and edged my finger towards the trigger, I heard a scream from outside someone was running, in all the confusion Danny let go of the gun and tripped over my foot on to the floor, I heard a crack and more screaming blood was pouring from his hand which he had, somehow jammed through a nail on the floor. As he was crawling away I turned the gun towards his head. He turned his head towards me I could see tears were streaming across the 20 year olds face, I brought the gun closer to his face. He started sobbing, and begging for mercy as the steel made contact with his face, my fingers were itching towards the trigger closer closer, my head was throbbing, hurting more with every inch I moved closer to him… BANG I looked down but was surprised to see Danny still alive I think he was too that's when I realised I didn't fire that bullet, I ran outside to see Johnny on the ground looking as if he'd been mauled but there was no site of the other man, I looked in to the distance of the city but couldn't see anything I turned then looked again there were faint black dots on the horizon, they were getting bigger there were more of them by the second then I realised they weren't dots they were people walking, stumbling and groaning with blood pouring down their faces and remnants of their clothes, I ran back inside put the gun in my pocket scooped Danny up by the arms wenched him up on to my shoulders and ran….


	2. Friendship, in the darkest of places

**Friendship, in the darkest of places**

Every part of my body ached from the shock, my feet were burning from the running, I was pouring sweat and Danny was groaning in my hands whilst staring at his hand which had been torn apart by the dislodged nail, blood was pouring all over his shirt. I ran down the route which I used to take to get me out of the city. I slid Danny on to the floor, propped him up against the wall on my side and yanked out the pistol from my pocket preparing to fend off any of those things. Danny groaned and pointed towards his wound acting a wrapping gesture, I dropped the gun to the floor, went knee down and tore a piece of the white fabric of my shirt with my sweaty blood stained hands. My hands found Danny's arm and squeezed the fabric around his arm tight until I made a knot with my fingers, my eyes darted over to Danny who was wincing from the pain. I fumbled towards the gun on the floor and picked it up, Danny raised his arm up I took it and yanked him on to my back before darting towards the exit of the alleyway.

My heart skipped a beat, we had arrived in the centre of town where I expected to find it deserted but instead found it to be filled with hundreds and hundreds of the things, I propped Danny up against the wall and pulled the gun up to head height, my fingers moved towards the trigger when I felt something move across my back, my head went mad with confusion I spun round in an instant almost stumbling over my own feet when I realised it was just Danny, I was about to turn around again when he opened his mouth and attempted to speak through his gritted teeth "the noise of the pistol will only attract them, we will have to get around them somehow or take them out quietly" There was no way we would be able to take them out quietly so I thought it would be best to sneak around. I put the pistol back in my back pocket and proceeded to pick Danny up, when he grabbed my arm and squeezed I Looked at his sweaty blood stained face, I helped him get off the ground and together, we moved towards the swarm.

The smell of the walkers, as Danny told me to call them was almost enough to make me throw up, but it was the rotten flesh and blood that was almost did it for me I tried my best to hold in my own bile as we moved past the crowd around the side of them. My eyes glanced round towards Danny who was walking through the walkers constantly holding his hand with a look of complete and utter dread on his face. I could feel the hairs on the back off my neck rising as we got closer and closer to the last few of the walkers, I was about to walk through a sport shop to my right when I heard a scream behind me, without a second of doubt I knew it was Danny. I swivelled round and darted towards Danny who was kicking frantically at the walkers trying to claw at his feet, I pushed a few of them off him and tried to grab him by the arm but the walkers had him to tight there was nothing I could do for him, I suddenly realised I was passing a baseball shop when we were near to the end of the swarm, I legged it back to the shop and smashed the dirty glass with my bare fists and grabbed a baseball bat from the display case. As I made my way back to Danny I hit walkers in the legs making sure they couldn't walk over to us and swarm us. The walkers almost had him by the time a got back, Dan was running out of energy and adrenaline to fight the things off I held the baseball bat up high and swung it at the walkers crashing in to one's head, bit's off blood and bone flying everywhere as it fell to the ground, others started to see what was going on and started to make their way towards us, I didn't have much time left. I swung again, the teeth flew out of another walker, Danny kicked the third and last one of them as he got himself up I ran over to its body and smashed it's head with the bat, teeth, blood and bits of bone went all over my shirt, smash I swung a gain its eyes popped out and flew over to the wall. I made one last effort to attack it with the bat when Danny grabbed my arm and groaned "We have to go now" I dropped the bat and legged it through the herd of walkers constantly looking back at Danny to see if he was ok when I saw he was running at full speed seemingly forgotten about his right hand or maybe just fuelled by the adrenaline.

We used to play here, back when the world was normal, when I had friends and was in school, we used to run around this hilltop screaming and shouting from the adrenaline rush of the game, now I stand here 20 years later narrowly avoiding death with a pistol in my pocket and a man in my arms with blood stained all over his shirt, "we'll camp here for a while we can't possibly expect to survive in the city, every now and then I'll have to make runs in to the city for food and water once you get fit again you can come with me" Danny nodded in agreement, I laid him down on the hill and sat down opposite him. A few moments passed in which no one talked and I noticed no sound it was truly surreal. Danny raised my head and grumbled "were you really going to kill me back there in the house" I looked at him for a minute before responding " no I could never have brought myself to kill another human being although when I heard the bang form the gun outside I really thought I had done it, I thought I had actually shot and killed you, my heart skipped a beat until I looked down and saw you still alive, believe it or not I was happy, I realised that whatever had happened to the world at least I knew, I wasn't alone" Danny looked at me and smiled something I never thought I would see him do "whatever we did before in our lives it doesn't matter anymore, this isn't the same world as before those people, there not humans anymore if we have to kill them, we kill them no matter what, we stay together and have each other's backs from now until forever" Danny looked down towards the ground his black mock of hair falling over his forehead covering his blue eyes from sight. The day grew older the sun was setting I put my head on the ground and closed my eyes, "thanks" my eyes threw themselves over to Danny, "for what " my eyes met his for a brief moment "for saving me I don't know how I'll ever repay you, just, thanks" I sank my head back on the ground for a minute before saying "your welcome, remember we're together in this now, forever" I waited for a response and looked over towards Danny, he had fallen asleep I put my head on the grass, closed my eyes and fell, in to and abyss of darkness.


	3. Calm Before The Storm

**Damned till death**

Two weeks had past, I had made several runs in to town to get food from the various houses on the edges of the city so that I wouldn't get lost in the centre, however the food stocked in the houses was depleting, fast and I knew I would have to make a run to get food from somewhere closer to the centre of the city probably one of the fast food joints. Danny's hand was healing a massive scar had formed in the place where he had torn it; we were starting to get along now and the boy had started to put some meat on his empty stomach as well. We would have to find some supplies in the city such as something to cut hair with, some weapons and obviously food and drink. Danny's hair had started to grow past his fringe, his black hair almost blotting out his crystal blue eyes. For a boy who lived in Countryside for most his life he was fairly light skinned.

I walked over to Danny and tapped him on the shoulder he turned his body round towards me, gave me a frowning expression and grumbled "yeah what?" I stared at him giving him a dumbfounded expression "yeah what? Are you serious man we are running out of food" my hand gesturing over to the empty bags of food on the other side of the hill. "we gotta go in to town and get some supplies, now are you coming or not" Danny stared at me for a moment before looking over to his side "nah man I'll stay here, guard the food that we have left and let ma hand heal a bit more" Danny got to his feet and moved over to the food looking for anything he could find "yeah sure dude I'll head in to the city, thing is the houses are empty we've looted them to death there's nothing left, I'll have to head further in to the city this time maybe I'll try and find a fast food joint somewhere" I stood up straight and looked up towards the scarlet sunlight, there wasn't much time left before nightfall I'd have to leave quickly "ok then man, be careful, and you know, good luck" A smile crept on to my face "Yeah you to man, rest up maybe next time you can come with me" I straightened up and moved my tired legs towards the sunlight glazed city.

The full moon was starting its descent on to the city, I was just getting started, My legs jumped up to a dumpster and on to the roof, the city was massive from this perspective standing on top of a three story house in the outskirts of town, I am going to have to make my way across the rooftops towards the city centre to avoid any walkers down below, my legs were aching from the walking, running and leaping. I thought o myself this is the last time I'm going in to town alone Danny is so coming with me next time injured or not. Rain started its attack on the city patting down on the rooftops sliding and sneaking its way down to the streets below. The night was growing dark I could see my own breath in the air and the rain was drizzling down my face making me shiver slightly. The fast food joint was nearing in the distance only a few rooftops left. The next jump was a big one, I moved back a few steps and moved my legs as fast as I could towards the edge, my legs made contact with the last stone on the roof and jumped as high as they could, whilst in md air I looked down and saw dozens of eyes glaring at me from down below, the light from them showing the faces of the walkers blood soaked and wet, they started to groan as they saw me above them, one of the walkers threw it's soaking wet, blood stained hands towards me and narrowly missed as My feet collided with the other roof almost causing me to trip over myself.

I jumped down from the roof and looked around for walkers but seeing none made the dash to the fast food joint, the rain was worsening now, I hoped Danny was alright on the hill with no protection from the rain. The door of the restaurant was solid glass I threw myself at it hoping to crash through it but to no avail the doors were bulletproof, since when did fast food joints have bulletproof glass, I guess crime had started to get worse in the seedier parts of the city. I ran round the side of the joint looking for a door, I looked to my right and my eyes met a ladder on the side of the building. I walked towards the other corner and looked to the ground, there was a shadow of a large man, I could hear his grunting, see the blood dripping from his mouth and smell death, I edged away from the corner and towards the ladder praying that these things couldn't climb.

I ran to the middle of the joints roof and found a manhole, I knew there would be another way through, thankfully someone had left the manhole open. I fell through and landed on the hard stony floor of the back room. I searched around looking for anything I could use later on but found nothing except a computer which looked like a desktop from the 1980's and a printer, which I don't think would be much use in the apocalypse. I made my way towards the door and made contact with the knob and turned it, the door squeaked open as I stepped inside. There were only two ways to go from here, there was another door which led outside and knowing that would be no use to me I stepped towards the door nearest to me which led to the inside of the cafeteria. I edged slowly towards the door readying myself for any walkers hidden behind it. I turned the knob with my hand and pushed the door, I heard a sound; my eyes darted behind me looking for the source of the noise, finding nothing I turned my head slowly and pushed the door slowly open, to find hell inside.


	4. Hell Begins

**Hell Begins**

I stumbled in to the room smashing my head on the floor, groaning I stood up my head banging with pain, as I raised my eyes I reeled back a moment, right in front of me stood five people, normal, alive human beings with torn clothes and cuts across their faces legs and arms. Each of the people had black large pistols aimed right at my head. My legs took a step back towards the door when one of the men shouted "Hey you stand right there and don't move" I raised my hands in the air and stood, bewildered what was going on? Were had these people come from "Look, please I really don't want any trouble I'm just here to get food and then go back to where I was camping, so if you'll kindly let me just get out of here I would appreciate it" One of the people a middle aged man with white skin and glasses moved towards me and put his gun right to my face "No, how about you look, as you can see we are not killers, we don't wannna hurt you or anything like that we just want to look after our own and make sure no one gets hurt, I'm sure you can understand our cause for concern here can you not?" I winced as the gun came closer towards my face "Yes I understand but I'm exactly the same as you I was camping out on the hill at the edge of town with my friend, you can come with me if you want" The man lowered his gun and moved a few steps back One of his friends a woman with black hair and white skin shouted at the top of her lungs "You can't possibly think about letting him go what if he comes back here in the night and KILLS US ONE BY ONE I vote we should kill him, just save our own asses for one day not another persons" The woman paced towards me raising her gun towards my face I walked back to the door when she ran at me and put the gun to my face " No carol DON'T DO IT" a third man jumped at carol pulling her backwards her gun backfiring at the door, suddenly there was a crash from behind us, "They've gotten in the middle aged man screamed, Carol pulled herself up from the floor rubbing the dirt of her clothes as she back away from me "we should have shot him when we saw him outside, or as soon as he got in here" The middle aged man stepped towards carol "Carol SHUT THE HELL UP you are not helping us out here by complaining so be quiet and help us get out of here" Carol moved towards the back of the room with a look of hate on her face, the middle aged man shouted across the room at me "How the hell did you get in here anyways we may be able to get out of her" An idea came to my mind, the smash had come from the door nearest to the owners office, that I came in from if we could just get in there then we could escape through the roof, I Shouted my plan across the room to the middle aged man "Ok then that's our only option we are gonna have to get out that way then, by the way the names David, now let's go everyone follow me and the new guy"

We ran in to the open corridor walkers were forcing their way through the door trying to get in I slammed the office door open, David quickly followed me, David went up the ladder first then the other man dressed In a white shirt and shorts, The final man was halfway up the ladder when Carol stopped running, panting "SCREW this he's probably leading us to our deaths, are you people insane following him around? get some sense it's a trap, now I don't care what you do but I'd rather go back there and die than follow him to my eventual death of pain" The other woman middle aged with grey hair and shirt on stood in front of the door "You aren't damming yourself to death Carol no matter who this man is I won't allow suicide" Carol stepped towards the woman and grabbed her by the hand pulling her away, I jumped from the ladder and dashed at full speed to Carol jumping on her, she smashed me in the face causing me to fall over and roll beside her, Carol stood up and threw

me in to the desk punching me relentlessly her fist caving in my cheek time after time causing blood to spew out of my nose and my mouth, my face was a bloody mess, before the man who was halfway up the ladder jumped down and grabbed her from behind and forced her on to the ladder making her climb, I picked myself up and ran towards the ladder I was almost up when I heard a scream, my heart skipped a beat we had completely forgotten about the other woman I looked back to see a walker grabbing her neck tearing her neck open spitting out chunks of flesh clawing at her face tearing her cheek of making her mouth visible through her empty hole of a cheek. I ran towards the walker and smashed it with my bare fists, falling through the door and the woman alongside me the walker let go of her as I caved its face in blow after blow throwing blood and bone everywhere. I picked the woman up and ran towards the ladder David and the others pulled me up and lifted me in to the outside world.

The rain was smashing itself down now every drop felt like a blow to the face as we descended from the roof onto the now empty streets. As we walk through the streets the fog sets itself in blinding our vision, the rain lashing down onto empty houses of people I used to know, used to love used to hate. The woman in my arms was losing blood fast we set her down in a house the woman was laid down, "What's her name" I asked David "Susan, Susan betterstone" I sighed releasing my pain to the world David ripped some of his shirt of handing it over to me I threw it over her cheek and throat, her breathing was becoming strained, it was at that moment I knew she wouldn't last much longer. My eyes glanced around the room David was sitting next to me rubbing his wet hands across Susan's face, Carol is sitting in the corner alone her head in her hands, another man was sitting on the couch trying to cool down after everything that had happened, blowing air into his hands for warmth, The final man whom had jumped down to grab carol and drag her away from me was sitting In the corner sobbing quietly maybe he as well knew that Susan wasn't going to make it, maybe they were related mum and son he looked young enough to be her son and she looked old enough. The room was quiet except for the rain lashing down outside and the sobbing of the man in the corner. There was a small TV and a couch opposite it with a frame of the family who had lived here before hanging above the TV on the wall, there was a large middle aged black man with his wife and daughter smiling in to the camera. I walked over to the corner with David "She isn't going to last mush loner, so who shall do it me or you? I've got one bullet let in my pistol if you want" David looked at me shaked his head and replied "No we take care of our own" I nodded as he took the gun from my hand and walked over to Susan I turned and stared at the picture of the family smiling. I sunk my head in to my hands as the bullet came banging out of the pistol and extinguished what life had been left from Susan out of this world forever.


End file.
